UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA  agricultural  Experiment  Station 

COLLEGE    OF   AGRICULTURE  E-   J-   WlCKSON,    Director 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 

CIRCULAR   No.  62 

May,  1911 


THE  SCHOOL  GARDEN  IN  THE 
COURSE  OF  STUDY 

BY  ERNEST  B.  BABCOCK  AND  CYRIL  A.  STEBBINS 


School  gardens  and  elementary  school  agriculture  are  often  con- 
sidered as  mere  phases  of  the  great  subject  of  Nature-Study,  meaning 
by  this  term — "the  observational  study  of  common  objects  and  activi- 
ties from  the  standpoint  of  human  interest  in  our  every  day  lives." 
But  the  school  garden,  on  the  one  hand,  has  certain  intrinsic  values 
which  cause  it  to  appeal  to  pupils,  teachers  and  patrons,  while  agri- 
culture, on  the  other  hand,  as  a  grammar  grade  subject  is  rapidly 
being  incorporated  into  county  courses  of  study  throughout  this 
State. 

Garden  work  has  well  been  called,  a  fundamental  prerequisite  to 
real  nature-study.  Much  of  the  nature-teaching  can  be  done  in  connec- 
tion with  the  garden.  It  may  prepare  for  and  grow  out  of  the  garden- 
ing processes  and  experience.  Moreover,  the  garden  offers  the  best 
opportunity  to  start  nature  study.  It  is  definite  and  of  necessity 
brings  the  child  into  touch  with  natural  objects  and  forces.  It  should 
be  the  center  from  which  radiate  various  lines  of  work.  "Instead  of 
insects,  birds,  weeds,  soils,  etc.,  as  isolated  topics,  they  should  be  taken 
up  in  connection  with  the  plants  with  which  they  are  biologically  and 
economically  related."*  At  the  same  time  the  garden  work  can  be 
correlated  with  all  the  regular  subjects.  Best  of  all  it  makes  for  char- 
acter building  through  emphasis  of  individual  responsibility  and 
practical  ethics. 

Agriculture  has  been  adopted  as  a  grammar  grade  subject  in  many 
counties  of  California.  But,  owing  to  the  lack  of  a  definite,  progres- 
sive plan  of  garden  work,  the  study  of  agriculture  has  amounted  to 
little  more  than  the  reading  of  supplementary  texts.  Grammar  grade 
agriculture  should  build  upon  and  supplement  the  nature-study  of  the 
primary  grades  and  the  school  garden  should  furnish  the  actual  basis 
of  the  work  throughout  the  whole  course. 


*  Coulter-Patterson,  ' '  Practical  Nature  Study, ' '   Appletons. 


The  chief  aim  and  business  of  nature-study  in  the  lower  primary 
grades  is  the  gathering  of  precepts,  the  getting  of  experience,  with 
as  many  different  objects  in  nature  as  possible,  to  know  their  names 
and  something  of  their  relations  to  each  other  and  to  man.  So  wTith 
garden  work  here.  The  first  grade  children  can  profitably  spend  some 
periods  in  the  garden,  watching  the  older  children  at  work,  learning 
the  names  of  tools,  seeds  and  plants.  But  a  little  space  should 
always  be  reserved  for  the  special  work  of  the  first  grade.  Class 
exercises  may  consist  of  planting  bulbs  in  the  fall  and  in  the  spring 
a  bed  of  sunflowers  and  a  row  of  popcorn.  These  will  furnish  good 
material  for  life  history  studies.  The  sunflower  seeds  will  attract 
birds  as  they  ripen  and  the  popcorn  can  be  used  at  Thanksgiving 
time. 

Second  grade  children  should  have  some  individual  garden  work  if 
possible.  Plots  not  smaller  than  3  by  5  feet  for  one  or  two  pupils 
will  allow  the  cultivation  of  one  vegetable  and  one  flower.  These 
should  be  large-seeded  and  quick-growing  like  peas,  string-beans, 
radish,  nasturtiums,  zinnias  and  four-o-clocks.  Teach  by  demonstra- 
tion lessons  requiring  them  to  repeat  what  they  have  seen  you  do.  Use 
earliest  maturing  varieties.  Gather  for  use  at  school  or  home.  Save 
seeds. 

In  the  third  grade  we  usually  find  Home  Geography  called  for. 
In  connection  with  this  what  could  be  more  helpful  than  to  have  the 
children  learn  to  grow  some  of  the  food  crops  that  are  raised  ' '  around 
home ' '  and  perhaps  some  desirable  ones  that  are  not  commonly  grown 
or,  if  common,  not  always  well  grown?  For  example,  our  old  friend, 
the  lettuce,  is  all  too  frequently  sown  thick  and  broadcast  and  thinned 
only  as  some  is  needed  for  the  table.  But  it  is  very  little  trouble  to 
transplant  and  then  it  can  be  set  far  enough  apart  so  it  will  head  and 
so  produce  the  same  kind  of  lettuce  we  buy  in  the  market.  This  crop 
is  quickly  grown.  Yet  it  gives  the  practice  in  transplanting  and,  with 
this  mastered  in  the  fall,  the  following  spring  many  of  the  more  diffi- 
cult vegetables  can  be  handled,  such  as  cabbage,  cauliflower,  and  kohl 
rabi,  tomatoes,  peppers  and  egg  plant,  besides  such  small  seeded 
flowers  as  pansies,  asters,  and  cosmos.  The  third  grade  pupils  should 
have  good  stiff  practice  in  preparing  the  seed  bed  or  boxes,  sowing, 
watering,  transplanting  and  cultivating  their  crops.  Community  wrork 
may  consist  of  some  effort  at  beautifying  the  school  yard,  keeping  it 
clean,  planting  something  ornamental,  subject  to  the  fundamental 
principles  of  landscape  art  which  the  teacher  should  understand.* 


Consult  Bailey's  "Manual  of  Gardening."     Macmillans. 


In  the  fourth  grade  special  attention  should  be  given  to  the  eco- 
nomic phase.  Food  and  fiber  plants  other  than  those  produced  at 
their  homes  should  be  grown  in  community  plots — cotton  and  flax, 
mulberry  trees,  field  crops  like  potato,  wheat,  sugar  beets,  etc.  The 
sugar  beets  can  be  pulled,  cleaned,  topped,  sliced  and  stewed  to  extract 
the  sugar  and  water  evaporated  so  as  to  show  the  sugar  present.  In 
a  grain  region  the  leading  cereals  should  be  grown  and  for  this  pur- 
pose the  Experiment  Station  at  Berkeley  will  furnish  free  seed.  In 
the  individual  gardens  some  one  crop  should  be  so  well  grown  that 
the  produce  can  be  marketed.  With  a  little  encouragement  many 
children  will  do  this  at  home  to  the  great  delight  of  their  parents  and 
with  the  preparation  suggested  in  the  second  and  third  grades  they 
ought  to  succeed.  In  case  this  is  undertaken  at  home,  the  individual 
plots  at  school  may  be  used  for  practice  in  propagation  by  bulbs  and 
tubers.  Freesias,  gladiolus,  dahlias  and  onions  can  be  raised  from  the 
seed  and  the  young  bulbs  saved.  Transplant  native  bulbs  from  the 
wild.  The  garden  can  be  made  to  vitalize  the  geography  study  of  these 
grades. 

In  the  fifth  grade  we  come  to  a  period  where  the  nature-study  work 
has  usually  frittered  out.  In  order  to  avoid  this  weakness  it  is  well 
to  intensify  on  one  or  two  important  lines.  The  topics  of  greatest 
interest  and  value  to  the  pupils  are  trees  and  birds.  The  two  go 
naturally  together  and,  while  they  should  be  included  in  the  miscel- 
laneous studies  of  earlier  years,  fifth  grade  boys  and  girls  are  capable 
of  and  take  more  interest  in  such  intensive  study.  Pinchot  's  ' '  Primer 
of  Forestry ' '  can  be  secured  from  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  in  two  parts  as  Farmers'  Bulletins  173  and  358  in  num- 
bers sufficient  for  class  use.  For  the  teacher  Fernow's  "Care  of 
Trees"  will  be  a  most  useful  help. 

Best  of  all,  the  garden  can  furnish  the  introduction  and  basis  for 
this  tree  study.  With  the  preparation  they  will  have  had  in  the  lower 
grades,  or  even  without  it,  if  the  teacher  understands  the  essentials 
to  success,  these  boys  and  girls  can  successfully  raise  many  of  our 
common  and  some  of  our  rare  trees  and  shrubs  from  the  seed  or  from 
cuttings.  Work  of  this  kind  will  be  more  valuable  to  them  than  all 
the  field  trips  and  class  room  work.  It  is  one  thing  to  read  about 
conservation.  It  is  quite  another  thing  to  plant  an  acorn  or  a  pine 
seed  and  care  for  the  growing  tree  through  the  years.  Arbor  Day  is 
all  too  often  a  farce,  but  tree  growing  and  tree  study  as  a  fifth  grade 
study  will  give  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  what  it  means  to  pro- 
duce forests  and  the  value  of  individual  trees.     (See  "Tree  Growing 


in  the  Public  Schools,"  Circular  59,  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
Berkeley. ) 

It  will  be  necessary  to  conduct  the  tree  growing  as  a  class  exercise, 
the  teacher  giving  directions  and  demonstrations  which  the  pupils 
carry  out.  Individual  plots  can  be  used  later  in  the  season  for  grow- 
ing the  seedling  trees.  In  the  fall  the  young  bulbs  raised  during  the 
previous  year  should  be  planted  and  brought  into  bloom.  The  life 
history  of  biennials  should  be  worked  out  by  planting  beets,  turnips 
or  cabbages  that  have  been  stored.  Sometimes  these  and  others  like 
salsify  are  left  in  the  ground  from  the  previous  year.  They  should 
be  cared  for  and  studied  when  they  come  into  bloom  and  the  seed 
saved. 

"Whenever  seed  is  saved  in  this  or  earlier  years,  the  fundamental 
principle  in  plant  improvement — selection  of  seed  from  superior  indi- 
viduals— should  be  emphasized.  (See  Chapter  IX  in  Hilgard  and 
Osterhout's  text.) 

In  the  sixth  grade  pupils  should  perform  some  school  room  experi- 
ments on  the  plant  as  a  living  machine  and  the  conditions  necessary 
for  its  success;  conditions  necessary  for  the  germination  of  seeds,  the 
soil,  what  it  is,  and  what  is  going  on  in  it,  and  the  relation  between 
the  plant  and  the  soil.  Simple  experiments  are  now  devised  for  teach- 
ing these  things  in  the  elementary  school.  They  are  set  forth  in  their 
relation  to  agriculture  in  the  first  few  chapters  of  "  Agriculture  for 
Schools  of  the  Pacific  Slope"  by  Hilgard  and  Osterhout.  In  schools 
where  there  has  been  no  garden,  such  a  series  of  experiments  form  the 
best  preparation  for  the  garden  work  of  the  grammar  grade  pupils. 

When  garden  work  has  been  introduced  in  the  lower  grades  already, 
the  work  of  the  sixth  grade  may  center  on  more  difficult  phases  of 
plant  propagation.  The  art  of  propagating  plants  from  seeds,  bulbs, 
cuttings,  and  buds  is  a  fascinating  subject  to  old  and  young  and  chil- 
dren seldom  tire  of  the  simple  experiments  that  can  be  devised  in 
order  to  answer  the  questions  which  their  own  curiosity  will  prompt 
them  to  ask. 

In  any  previous  gardening,  the  class  will  have  begun  to  learn  the 
art  of  seedage  in  its  simpler  phases,  but  there  is  much  more  that  can 
be  learned  to  advantage.  The  preparations  for  starting  a  school 
nursery  will  introduce  new  problems.  At  this  point,  explain  the  reason 
for  growing  budded  or  grafted  fruit  and  nut  trees.  Make  a  seed  bed 
and  stratify  the  seeds  of  stone  fruits,  pome  fruits,  walnuts,  etc.,  dur- 
ing fall  or  winter.  "When  the  seeds  begin  to  sprout  plant  them  about 
six  inches  apart  in  the  nursery  row  and  bud  them  in  June  or  Septem- 


ber.  In  case  of  failure  to  make  buds  "take"  the  tree  can  be  used 
again  the  following  spring  or  fall.  Any  of  the  texts  on  agriculture 
give  simple  directions  for  budding  and  grafting,  and  Bailey's 
"Manual  of  Gardening"  gives  full  details.  When  the  budded  trees 
have  made  a  year's  growth  give  each  pupil  a  tree  to  take  home.  Estab- 
lish a  custom  in  the  school. 

The  growing  of  bulbs  from  the  seed  has  been  suggested  for  the 
fourth  grade.  The  cutting  of  hyacinth  and  lily  bulbs  so  as  to  secure 
young  bulbs  or  offsets  will  prove  interesting.  A  single  scale  from  a 
lily  bulb  will  form  small  bulblets  when  planted  in  rather  dry  soil. 
Hyacinth  and  tulip  bulbs  may  be  cut  in  two  or  slashed  in  various  ways 
and  planted  again.  This  should  be  done  during  spring  or  summer 
after  flowering. 

The  hotbed  and  cold  frame  will  furnish  much  good  practice, — 
making  and  caring  for  them,  including  watering  and  ventilating; 
raising  early  cabbage,  tomato  and  pansy  plants,  etc.  Then  these  same 
frames  may  be  used  for  a  detailed  study  of  soft  and  hard  wood  cut- 
tings of  rose,  heliotrope,  fuchsia,  etc.  Cuttings  of  grapes,  currants 
and  other  bush  fruits  may  be  "heeled  in"  in  the  cold  frame  until 
callus  forms.  Directions  for  making  cold  frames,  hotbeds,  etc.,  will 
be  found  in  Bailey 's  ' '  Manual  of  Gardening, ' '  which  is  the  most  useful 
general  reference  book  on  gardening  for  the  school  library.  MacMil- 
lans,  $2. 

Seventh  and  eighth  grade  pupils  should  grow  more  difficult  vege- 
tables such  as  asparagus,  rhubarb,  celery,  sweet  potato,  and  flowers 
such  as  petunias,  begonias,  gloxinias,  for  all  of  which  the  hot  bed  and 
cold  frame  will  be  useful. 

The  element  of  doing  should  still  predominate  and  pupils  should 
depend  on  their  gardens  or  other  experiments  for  data.  Problem 
experiments  connected  with  crop  production — best  methods  of  irriga- 
tion and  cultivation ;  individual  work  in  crop  improvement  including 
seed  selection  (see  Circular  46,  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  pp. 
21  and  26,  also  Hilgard  and  Osterh out's  text,  Chapter  IX).  Quanti- 
tative work  based  upon  plot  dimensions — area  expressed  in  frac- 
tions of  an  acre,  rate  of  application  of  fertilizers  in  plot  experiments, 
amount  of  products  in  weight,  estimated  yield  per  acre,  gross  and  net 
returns,  etc. 

Distinct  problems  for  boys  and  girls  should  be  planned.  For 
example,  the  boys  may  choose  special  problems  in  the  culture  of  farm 
crops  and  the  girls,  problems  connected  with  landscaping  home  or 
school  grounds,  the  planning  and  planting  of  groups,  borders  and 
ornamental  beds. 


The  course  outlined  above  is  progressive  from  grade  to  grade  and 
so  is  adapted  only  to  larger  schools.  Smaller  schools  will  be  compelled 
to  handle  the  pupils  in  groups  making  the  garden  work  progressive 
from  year  to  year  in  those  groups.    The  following  scheme  is  suggested  : 

Group      I.  Work  suggested  above  for  grades  1-3. 

Group    II.  Work  suggested  above  for  grades  4  and  5. 

Group  III.  Work  suggested  above  for  grades  6-8. 

' '  This  organization  of  material  unifies  and  increases  its  value  from 
an  educational  standpoint.  Indeed,  if  the  full  purpose  of  the  garden 
work  is  carried  out,  it  means  more  than  the  training  of  the  hand  in 
doing  its  part  of  the  work  successfully  and  skillfully.  It  means  a 
training  of  the  eye  to  see  things  as  they  are,  a  training  of  the  mind  to 
think  logically  and  independently,  to  draw  truthful  conclusions  and 
to  recognize  the  dignity  of  the  work. '  '* 

Many  schools  wish  to  begin  the  teaching  of  agriculture  in  the  gram- 
mar grades  even  though  the  pupils  have  had  no  previous  nature-study 
or  garden  experience.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  large  aims 
of  agriculture  in  the  elementary  school  are  threefold  (1)  to  create 
a  sympathy  for  farming,  for  country  life;  (2)  to  give  new  direction 
to  many  of  the  old  subjects  in  the  curriculum;  (3)  to  link  school  and 
community  life.  The  scope  of  these  aims  is  far  reaching,  for  agricul- 
ture, with  the  school  garden  as  a  basis,  is  potential  in  the  direction  of 
all  those  factors  which  make  for  good  citizenship  and  happiness. 

Agriculture  in  the  large  sense  does  not  mean  merely  the  growing 
of  a  field  crop,  but  it  means  bird  life,  insect  life,  weather  conditions 
and  other  factors  in  relation  to  the  field  crop.  Thus  the  great  majority 
of  teachers,  whose  lives  have  been  far  removed  from  these  natural 
agencies,  hesitate  to  attempt  the  teaching  of  agriculture  although 
they  feel  its  need.  They  are  timid  because  of  the  lack  of  knowledge 
and  naturally  they  ask,  ' '  How  shall  I  teach  agriculture. ' '  One  of  the 
delights  in  teaching  is  to  discover  and  to  learn  with  the  children.  As 
to  the  method  of  introduction,  use  the  school  garden,  or  if  such  is 
impossible,  let  the  children  start  home  gardens.  Link  the  school  life 
to  that  of  the  community.  Observe  the  needs  of  the  community,  the 
school  and  its  yard  and  let  this  observation  direct  the  work  in  agricul- 
ture in  a  great  measure.  If  a  fresh  lawn  is  needed  at  school  let  the 
children  put  it  in,  etc.  Again  the  work  of  the  community  may  well 
give  direction  to  the  gardening.  A  rural  school  situated  in  a  fruit  dis- 
trict should  devote  space  to  a  nursery,  etc.  For  the  guidance  of  the 
teacher  and  supplementary  reading  in  class,  use  Hilgard  and  Oster- 
hout's  "Agriculture  for  Schools  of  the  Pacific  Slope." 

*  Coulter-Patterson  ' '  Practical  Nature-Study. ' ' 


COURSE  OF  STUDY  FOR  SIXTH,  SEVENTH  AND  EIGHTH 

GRADES 

Sixth  Grade — Fall  Term 

The  Soil : 

a)  Characteristics  of  sand,  clay,  humus. 

b)  How  to  better  soil  conditions. 

c)  The  relation  of  water  to  sand,  clay  and  humus. 

d)  How  to  conserve  capillary  and  gravitational  water. 

The  Seed: 

a.  What  is  a  seed? 

b.  The  needs  of  the  embryo  plant. 

The  subjects  should  be  taught  by  class-room  experiments  set  up 
by  the  teacher  or  by  the  pupils.  The  aim  of  the  experimental  work 
should  be  to  direct  conduct  in  the  garden,  to  teach  the  children  how 
to  better  the  soil  conditions ;  how  to  prepare  the  seedbed;  how  to  plant 
seeds;  how  to  care  for  the  young  plants. 

If  the  water  conditions  are  such  as  to  permit  irrigation,  start  the 
gardens  in  the  fall  term.  Select  a  plot,  soak  with  water,  and  lay  out 
the  gardens.  Make  the  individual  plots  about  4  by  6  feet.  (For 
further  suggestions  see  "Suggestions  for  Garden  Work  in  California 
Schools,"  Circular  46,  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  Berkeley.) 

Grow  the  common  vegetables  and  flowers. 

Vegetables :  Raddish,  lettuce,  beets,  carrots,  parsley,  turnips. 

Flowers:  Sweet  Alyssum,  cosmos,  poppies,  sweet  peas.  Start 
pansies,  stocks,  coreposis,  etc.,  in  boxes  to  transplant  later. 

After  the  first  preliminary  lessons  to  teach  the  children  how  to 
prepare  a  seed  bed  and  how  to  plant  their  seeds,  experimental  studies 
should  be  sacrificed  for  garden  work.  However,  as  the  gardens  come 
to  need  less  attention,  study  in  the  class-room  and  in  the  field  may  be 
resumed. 

The  work  of  the  stem : 

a)  As  a  piping  system  to  convey  food  and  water  to  the  roots  and  to  the 
leaves.  • 

b)  To  lift  the  leaves  to  the  sunlight. 

c)  To  lift  the  flower  high  for  pollination  and  to  insure  a  wider  field  for  the 
dispersal  of  the  seeds. 

d)  As  a  storehouse  for  food  as  in  celery. 

The  work  of  the  leaves : 

a)  As  a  respiratory  system  of  plants. 

b)  As  a  means  of  protection  from  excessive  heat. 

c)  As  a  factor  to  control  loss  of  moisture. 

d)  As  a  soil  builder. 

e)  As  a  storehouse  for  food  as  in  lettuce. 


The  work  of  the  flower : 
a)   To  perpetuate  the  plant. 
1.  Pollination. 

a.  Self  fertilization. 

b.  Cross  fertilization. 

Seed  dispersal. 

SPRING  TERM 

If  the  gardens  were  started  in  the  fall,  carry  them  through  the 
spring  term,  otherwise,  as  early  as  possible  get  them  under  way.  Plant 
vegetables  and  flowers. 

Vegetables:   Peas,  beans   (after  frosts  are  over),  potatoes,  cabbage,  toma- 
toes. 
Flowers:    Transplant  those  started  in  boxes  or  hot  beds.      Sow  in  the  open, 

nasturtium,  zinnia,  larkspur,  etc.,  arranging  for  some  color  scheme. 
Grow  economic  plants — sugar  beets,  flax,  hemp,  castor  beans,  cereals,  etc. 

Continue  plant  study  as  outlined  in  the  fall  term  covering  chapters 
I-X  in  Hilgard  and  Osterhout's  book,  emphasizing  the  experimental 
work. 

Seventh  Grade — Fall  Term 

The  gardens  will  need  immediate  attention.  If  they  have  not  been 
taken  care  of  during  the  summer  vaction  by  the  children  or  the  jani- 
tor, they  will  be  overrun  with  weeds  and  many  harmful  insects  will 
be  at  work.  As  the  children  meet  these  new  factors  they  should  be 
studied.    For  suggestions  see  the  text  recommended. 

Without  a  break  in  the  continuity  of  the  whole  subject,  birds  should 
be  studied  as  a  natural  check  on  insect  life.  Teach  the  children  to 
recognize  the  winter  visitors  which  arrive  in  the  fall.  See  "A  Guide 
to  the  Birds  of  the  Pacific  Coast"  by  C.  A.  Stebbins,  Berkeley,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Harvest  the  economic  plants.  See  the  text  for  suggestions  as  to 
methods  used  in  obtaining  sugar  from  the  sugar-beet,  fiber  from  the 
hemp  and  flax,  etc.  The  work  with  the  economic  plants  points  the  way 
to  a  study  of  the  work  of  the  world. 

Lay  aside  a  strip  of  the  garden  for  a  nursery.  Plant  peach  and 
almond  pits.  Start  apple  trees  from  seeds  or  "piece  roots."  See 
"Tree  Growing  in  the  Public  Schools,"  Circular  No.  59,  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,  Berkeley.  This  material  will  furnish  studies  of 
plant  propagation  in  the  eighth  grade. 

Spring  Term 
Keep  the  gardens  under  way.    Plant  vegetables  and  flowers  from 
a  new  point  of  view.    Many  uses  may  be  made  of  the  garden  output : 


9 

(1)  it  may  be  eaten  at  school,  (2)  it  may  be  taken  home  and  given  to 
parents,  (3)  it  may  be  given  to  the  poor,  (4)  it  may  be  used  for  a 
school  vegetable  dinner,  (5)  it  may  be  entered  in  exhibits.  The  great 
value  of  competitive  exhibits  at  school  or  local,  county  or  district  fairs 
should  not  be  overlooked.    Award  useful  prizes. 

Eighth  Grade — Fall  Term 

Propagation  of  plants. 

a)  By  budding   and    grafting     (using    the    seedlings    planted    the    year 
previous.) 

b)  By  seeds. 

c)  By  cuttings — roses,  geraniums,  grapes,  currants,  fig. 

d)  By  layering — blackberries,  raspberries,  etc. 

e)  By  tubers — dahlia,  iris,  potato. 

f)  By  bulbs — lilies,  hyacinths. 

The  children  should  take  part  in  doing  the  work  suggested  above. 
Study  the  weather  in  relation  to  plant  life.  See  the  text.  The  young 
seedlings  are  likely  to  be  attacked  by  fungus  diseases  and  certain 
insects.  The  control  of  these  factors  should  receive  careful  study. 
Continue  the  study  of  birds. 

Spring  Term 

Keep  the  gardens  under  way,  following  a  graded  schedule  for 
vegetables  and  flowers  in  order  that  experience  may  be  obtained  in 
growing  the  different  types  of  plants.  The  pupils  may  assist  in  mak- 
ing a  planting  chart  for  the  locality. 

In  relation  to  necessary  agencies  for  plant  growth,  study  bacteria 
in  order  to  direct  the  conduct  of  the  children  toward  better  living. 
See  the  text  for  suggestions. 

Study  the  earthworm  and  such  other  low  forms  of  animal  life  as 
are  related  to  the  welfare  of  the  soil  and  to  mankind. 

The  course  as  outlined  is  very  general.  The  chief  aim  has  been 
to  show  the  relation  of  the  school  garden  to  the  class-room  work. 


CALIFORNIA  JUNIOR  GARDENERS 

This  is  the  name  for  an  organization  of  the  grammar  grade  pupils 
of  California  who  are  engaged  in  gardening.  The  College  of  Agri- 
culture publishes  a  paper  twice  each  month  during  the  school  year, 
called  "The  Junior  Agriculturist."  It  will  be  sent  free  to  any 
grammar  grade  boy  or  girl  in  the  State  who  has  a  garden.  Teachers 
will  find  this  paper  an  excellent  means  for  interesting  their  pupils  in 
the  agricultural  work. 

To  give  some  idea  of  this  publication,  we  herewith  reproduce  the 
following  sample  pages : 


University   of   California,   College   of   Agriculture,   Berkeley,    California. 
E.  J.  Wickson,  Dean. 

The  Junior  Agriculturist 

A    LITTLE    PAPEE    ISSUED    TWICE    A    MONTH 
FOR   THE    BOYS    AND   GIRLS    OF    CALIFORNIA 


Vol.  1 


Berkeley,  California,  APRIL  15,  1911. 


No.  4 


Communications    should    be    sent    to 

C.  A.  STEBBINS,  Editor 

Berkeley,  Calif. 

Agricultural  Education  Division. 


During  the  month  of  March,  we 
visited  a  class  of  blind  children  twice  to 
teach  them  about  our  song  birds.  These 
poor  children  have  a  great  deal  of  joy  shut 
out  of  their  lives.  You  would  think  it  a 
great  hardship  to  have  to  be  blindfolded 
one  day. 

The  first  day  we  told  them  about  the 
habits  of  the  birds  showing  them  how 
much  value  they  are  in  helping  to  control 
the  destructive  insects.  The  stuffed  skins 
of  the  birds,  which  many  of  you  have  seen, 
were  then  handled  by  the  children. 

On  the  second  day  we  all  went  out  into 
the  fields.  When  a  bird  sang,  the  children 
were  told  its  name  and  were  allowed  to 
handle  the  stuffed  skin  of  a  similar  bird. 
Thus  they  learned  the  songs  of  eight  dif- 
ferent birds.  At  our  next  visit,  the  chil- 
dren will  remember  these  birds,  even  better 
than  you  would. 

The  next  time  your  tooth  aches  or 
something  else  goes  wrong  just  think  of 
these  blind  children  and  be  thankful  that 
your  troubles  are  so  small  in  comparison. 


We  wish  to  tell  the  Berkeley  gardeners 
that  four  banners  have  been  ordered.  Two 
to  be  used  as  rewards  to  the  two  groups 
having  the  best  gardens  on  the  University 
campus  and  two  to  go  to  the  two  best 
individual  gardens.  Each  gardening  day 
the  gardens  will  be  judged  and  the  ban- 
ners will  be  flown  in  their  proper  places. 
They  will  remain  there  from  day  to  day  so 
long  as  these  gardens  are  the  best.  How- 
ever, if  on  succeeding  days  other  gardens 
are  judged  the  best,  the  banners  will  be 
flown    in    their   new   places.      Thus    it   will 


not   only   take   work   to   win    a    banner    but 
it  will  take  work  to  keep  it. 

The  banners  have  arrived  since  the 
above  was  written.  Mr.  Baird's  and  Miss 
Van  Mater's  children  received  the  banners 
for  the  first  and  second  best  groups.  For 
the  best  individual  garden  banners  were 
given  to  Joseph  Hooker  and  Roscoe  Scam- 
mon. 

*      *      * 

At  the  present  writing  we  think  the 
gardens  at  the  Niles  school  are  the  best. 
The  boys  have  built  a  fence  around  the 
plot.  The  gardens  are  uniformly  laid 
out,  raised  about  three  inches,  and  are 
producing  a  fine  growth  of  vegetables.  We 
are  going  to  have  a  picture  of  the  gardens 
in  the  "Junior"  before  loftg. 

Some  day  if  a  big  auto-truck  rolls  up 
to  your  school  filled  with  children,  greet 
them  as  gardeners  from  Niles,  for  seven- 
teen of  them  are  planning  to  rent  such  a 
car  so  as  to  visit  the  other  school  gardens 
of  Alameda  County.  We  like  this  idea.  The 
children   of  Niles   are  "up-to-date." 

The  Decoto  gardeners  have  made  a 
large  cardboard  bird  chart.  Columns  have 
been  made  for  (1)  the  name  of  the  bird, 
(2)  when  seen,  (3)  winter,  permanent,  or 
summer  resident,  or  transient,  (4)  where 
it  nests,  (5)  kind  of  food,  (6)  protected 
or  unprotected,  (7)  name  of  the  pupil  who 
sees  the  bird  first,  (8)  time  of  arrival  or 
leaving. 

Several  "summer  residents"  have  just 
arrived,  (1)  the  russet-backed  thrush,  (2) 
the  plain  tit-mouse,  (3)  the  chipping  spar- 
row, (4)  the  black-headed  grosbeak.  We 
think  the  varied  thrushes  have  gone  north. 
*      *      * 

One  class  at  San  Lorenzo  is  putting  in 
a  lawn  in  front  of  the  school  house.  The 
fifth  grade  chidren  are  growing  flowers 
and  geraniums  to  place  about  the  building 
besides  growing  vegetables  in  their  gardens.. 


11 


If     nothing     happens     the     "Californn 
Junior  Pins"  will  be  ready  for  distribution 
before    long.      They    are    going    to    be    given 
to   you. 


The  Seed 

A  seed  is  an  embryo  plant  provided 
with  food,  usually,  and  a  cover.  The. 
embryo  sleeps  within  its  cover  until  awak- 
ened by  moisture.  The  moisture  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  carry  food  to  the  small 
plant.  We  learned  in  the  pi*evious  les- 
son that  there  is  moisture  in  the  soil,  so 
it  follows  that  the  first  effort  of  the  seed 
is  to  bury  itself.  Observe  a  seed  closely 
and  you  may  see  that  its  shape  is  such 
that  it  may  readily,  with  the  help  of  winds 
and  rains,  work  its  way  into  the  soil. 
Many  seeds  have  mechanical  arrangements 
which  aid  in  burying  them.  Alfilaria  seeds 
have  a  screw-like  attachment  which  helps 
them  to  work  into  the  soil  and  into  your 
clothing.  The  fox-tail  has  seeds  which 
penetrate  your  clothes  very  readily.  Birds 
help  to  bury  seeds. 

With  the  seed  buried  by  nature  or  by 
man,  the  water  enters  a  little  opening  in 
the  seed  called  the  micropyle.  This  mois- 
ture sets  up  action  in  the  seed,  sugar  is 
made,  and  more  water  is  drawn  through 
the  seed  cover.  The  experiment  which 
most  of  you  have  seen  with  the  walnut 
shells  taught  you  this.  The  cover  which 
up  to  this  time  has  been  helpful  to  the 
seed  is  now  a  hindrance  and  the  seed  tries 
to  rid  itself  of  its  coat.  Finally,  the  cover 
splits  and  the  little  plant  pushes  its  way, 
a  part  upward  to  become  the  stem  and 
leaves,  a  part  downward  to  become  the 
roots.  The  plumule  becomes  the  stem  and 
leaves,    the    radicle   becomes   the    roots. 

In  order  to  form  roots  and  leaves,  food 
is  necessary.  The  chick  comes  from  the 
egg  and  runs  about  immediately  to  find 
its  food.  The  little  plant  cannot  do  this 
so  nature  has  placed  its  food  close  at  hand, 
in  the  seed  leaves,  or  cotyledons.  In  the 
case  of  the  bean  the  seed  draws  for  a  long 
time  on  the  seed  food,  sometimes  until 
the  plant  is  four  or  six  inches  high.  By 
this  time  the  roots  have  formed  and  have 
begun  to  draw  upon  the  soil  for  mineral 
food,  the  leaves  have  begun  using  the  air 
for  food.  The  pansy  seed  has  very  little 
plant  food  for  its  embryo.  The  bean  has 
a  great  deal.  These  facts  tell  us  something 
about  the  depth  to  plant  seeds.  The  small 
seed  planted  deep  would  not  furnish  the 
embryo  enough  food  to  help  it  to  the  sun- 
light.     We  know   a   general   rule   to   use   in 


[planting  seeds.  It  is,  plant  seeds  as  deep 
in  the  ground  as  three  to  five  times  their 
diameter.  Seeds  should  always  be  planted 
deep  enough  to  rest  in  moist  soil,  regard- 
less of  the  rule.  We  have  seen  children 
plant  seeds  in  dry  soil.  Since  moisture  is 
essential  to  plant  growth,  no  results  .can, 
thus,  be  obtained.  Large  seeds  may  be  hur- 
ried in  germination  by  soaking  in  water 
the  night  before  planting.  Often  good  re- 
sults may  be  obtained  by  digging  the  row 
for  the  seeds,  by  filling  with  water,  and 
after  the  water  has  soaked  in,  by  sowing 
the   seeds   in   the   trench. 

We  hope  that  you  have  remembered 
tnat  plants  are  grouped  into  classes  by  the 
number  of  their  cotyledons.  For  instance, 
monocotyledons  are  plants  having  one 
cotyledon,  such  as  corn ;  dicotyledons  have 
two  seed  leaves,  the  bean;  polycotyledons 
have  many  cotyledons,   the  pines. 

Questions 

1.  What  is  a  seed? 

2.  What  awakens  the  seed? 

3.  How  does  the  seed  bury  itself? 

4.  How  does  the  water  first  enter  the 
seed? 

5.  What  happens  when  Avater  first 
enters  the  seed? 

6.  What  does  the  seed  try  to  do  with 
its   coat? 

7.  Where  is  the  food  stored  for  the 
small  plant? 

8.  What  is  the  rule  for  planting  seeds  ? 
What  determines  this  rule  ? 

9.  How  may  germination  be  hurried  ? 

10.  How   are  plants   grouped? 

Many  of  our  gardeners  will  recognize 
that  some  of  the  material  found  in  the  last 
two  numbers  of  the  "Junior"  reviews  the 
lessons  given  by  the  student  teachers. 
This  plan  is  going  to  help  you  to  remem- 
ber what  is   taught  you. 


CHILDREN'S  ARTICLES 
How  Deep  to  Plant  Seeds 

Gardening  is  very  interesting  for  me. 
I  have  always  planted  my  things  so  deep 
in  the  ground  that  they  never  succeeded 
in  coming  up.  I  have  learned  now  how 
far  down  to  plant  seeds.  We  had  an 
experiment  and  quite  far  down  we 
planted  a  seed  and  a  little  higher  up  an- 
other until  Ave  planted  another  seed  in  the 
right  place.  The  one  in  the  right  place 
is  quite  high  now.  The  others  are  still 
struggling    to     get     up     to      the      light.         I 


12 


remember  one  time  I  had  some  very  nice 
seeds  and  I  went  out  and  dug  a  great  hole 
and  dropped  them  in.  It  is  over  a  year 
now  and  I  have  had  nothing  from  my 
seeds.  I  have  learned  how  far  down  to 
plant  my  seeds  and  the  next  time  I  shall 
know  and  may  be  I  shall  have  some 
flowers.  I  have  learned  the  rule  which 
is  to  plant  the  seed  from  three  to  five 
times    the    smallest    diameter. 

Melia    Farwell. 
High   5th  Grade.  Oakland. 

Plants  Need  Light 

To  be  sure  that  a  plant  needed  light, 
we  tried  an  experiment  in  our  class  room. 
We  had  made  a  small  garden  in  a  box. 
We  put  a  cardboard  box  over  a  pea  plant. 
The  box  kept  the  light  from  the  plant. 
About  two  weeks  after  we  took  it  off  to 
see  what  the  result  was.  The  plant  had 
turned  yellow.  The  other  plants  that  did 
not  have  any  box  over  them  were  green. 
This  experiment  shows  that  a  plant  needs 
light, 

Verxa     Jefferv. 

5th   Grade,    Washington    School, 

Oakland. 
*      *      * 

Plants  Need  Heat 

The  plants  need  heat.  If  you  plant 
some  seeds  in  the  shade  and  then  plant 
some  in  the  sun  you  will  find  that  the  one 
you  put  in  the  sun  will  come  up  first.  We 
proved  this  by  planting  some  seeds  in  two 
cans.  We  put  one  away  from  the  sun  and 
one  in  the  sun.  The  one  in  the  sun  is 
lots  larger  than  the  other  one. 

James  Reed. 

A  5th  Grade.  Oakland. 

Possibly  the  presence  of  more  light  had 
more  to  do  with  rapid  growth  than  the 
difference  in  heat.     This  experiment  hardly 


proves  that   heat  was  t lie  controlling  factor 
alone. 

A  Seed 

A  seed  is  a  tiny  plant  surrounded  by 
food.  It  needs  plenty  of  air,  moisture, 
heat  and  good  soil.  The  parts  of  a  seed 
are  the  coat,  micropyle,  cotyledons  and 
embryo.  In  showing  how  the  seed  needed 
air  we  tied  some  seeds  in  cotton  and  put 
them  into  a  bottle  with  water,  then  we  put 
in  the  cork  to  shut  out  the  air.  Then 
we  took  a  glass  and  put  some  cotton  and 
seeds  into  it  with  a  little  water  and  did 
not  shut  out  the  air.  The  ones  we  put 
into  a  glass  have  come  up  very  well,  and 
are  green,  and  the  one  we  put  in  the  bot- 
tle is  not  sprouted,  so  that  showed  that 
a  seed  needs  air.  This  tells  us  that  soil 
must  be  prepared  so  that  seeds  will  get 
air.  Hope    Reigner. 

B   5th   Grade.  Oakland. 

My  Garden 

One  corner  of  Our  school  yard  about 
fifty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide,  has  been 
set  aside  for  our  vegetable  garden. 

Some  of  the  boys  divided  it  into  twenty- 
five  garden  plots,  each  eight  feet  long  and 
five  feet  wide,  with  a  path  two  feet  wide 
on   three  sides. 

Each  of  us  has  chosen  one  of  these 
plots  for  his  own  garden  which  he  must 
dig,  plant  and  take  care  of. 

We  had  just  begun  digging  when  the 
rain   came  along  and  made  us  stop. 

I  am  going  to  plant  radish,  lettuce,  and 
peas  in  my  garden.  I  know  I  shall  enjoy 
taking  care  of  it  and  watching  the  plants 
grow. 

When  our  plants  are  grown  we  are 
going  to  exhibit  them. 

Josie   Anderson. 

San  Leandro  School. 


